Amrish Gautam,Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly,was pulled up by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday for challenging a Lokayukta order to investigate the construction of an illegal structure at his residence in East Delhi. The court categorically told Gautam that if there were unauthorised structures on his property,he must either demolish them or cite adequate legal grounds on which he could protect them. Justice Hima Kohli said this after Gautams counsel subtly admitted that some portions of the structure in his property were unauthorised. If you yourself admit that there is some unauthorised construction,why dont you demolish the illegal part and get clearance from the civic agency? Justice Kohli asked his counsel. The counsel,however,refused to give any undertaking in this regard. The court asked Gautam to submit a written reply by July 22,explaining what action he wants to take to protect his property. The order came on Gautams plea challenging a May 30 order of the Lokayukta,who had rejected his claim of immunity against probes into alleged unauthorised structures on his property at Khichripur, East Delhi.
